Forward
by TGHall
Summary: One shot. Emison. Graduation leads to an actual conversation between Emily and Alison about everything. Finally. Post Season 5 final.


**A/N: Really quick thrown together one shot for Pllsphere on tumblr, awesome blog check it out sometime. (it turned out a little less fluffy that I was hoping but given how these characters are maybe this is more realistic). **

**ONE SHOT, don't own Pretty Little Liars and as always enjoy. **

"Well done to the graduating class of 2012!"

Rosewood High's newest alumni excitedly squealed and hugged each other. Their friends and family watching on proudly as the student body who had been through a lot in the last four years, finally celebrated the end of their high school careers.

"We did it!" Aria cheered jumping on Spencer.

The valedictorian laughed catching the small brunette easily.

"Yeah I thought Spence's speech was never going to end," Hanna joked.

Emily elbowed the blonde sharply but Spencer just rolled her eyes.

"I thought it was great, Spencer," Emily complimented.

"Thanks, Em," Spencer smiled gratefully throwing her arms around Emily and hugging her tightly.

"Come here, munchkin," Hanna teased Aria pulling the indignant brunette into her own hug.

"Oh girls I'm so proud," Mrs Marin gushed as she hurried over, Caleb, Toby and the other parents a step behind.

Caleb pulled Hanna into a kiss when she threw her arms around him and Toby wrapped an arm around Spencer before he patted Emily on the back in congratulations.

"Dinner at mine," Spencer reminded everyone, getting another round of cheers from their little group.

"Emily," a voice called.

Emily pulled herself out of Hanna's embrace to see Alison standing a respectful distance from the group. She headed over to the nervous blonde cautiously.

"You look," Alison gulped blue eyes shining with reverence. "Amazing."

"Ali," Emily breathed looking back at the group that they were still too close to.

Hanna caught the brunette's eye and nodded.

"We'll be over there," Hanna said softly pulling Caleb and ushering the others away.

Alison smiled politely as the others left before she took a deep breath and stepped closer to Emily.

"Em I wanted to see you," Alison started.

"I wanted to see you too, but your dad wouldn't let me in the door," Emily shifted uneasily on her feet looking down at the ground.

"I know I asked him not to," Alison admitted clasping her hands together. "It was one of the hardest things I've had to do."

"Pushing me away, you should be good at it," Emily scoffed.

Alison pursed her lips before her mouth dropped into a sad smile.

"You have ever right to be upset," Alison agreed.

"You're damn right I do," Emily rounded on the blonde. "You left Ali, you shut down and you wouldn't let anyone in. Well guess what you weren't the only one hurting."

"No I wasn't," Alison admitted taking another deep breath to steady herself. "But I was spiralling and you needed to concentrate on getting better and graduating."

"So what you selfless ignored me and shut me out of your life," Emily fumed. "Once again you're making all the decisions for me. I'm never going to be anything other than a puppet to you am I?"

Alison shook her head glaring at the ground as she tried to control her own anger.

"Lash out all you want, Em, I can take it, I know I deserve it," Alison stood straighter. "Do whatever you need to do."

Emily stared at her for a long moment before she yelled at the sky.

"Why? Why do you keep doing this to me? Pulling me back in, its like I can't escape you not matter how hard I try," Emily cried, pacing in an angry circle. "Why won't you get _out_ of my head?"

Alison watched her mermaid scream and rant angrily. She watched helplessly trying to remind herself this was good, this was what Emily needed to vent and be heard, to let go so they could finally heal.

"You're always in there, everyday, every moment, even when you were _dead_," Emily admitted her brown eyes filling with tears. "Why'd you do it, Ali? Why did you _make me _fall in love with you?"

Alison's heart thumped painfully and she covered her own mouth to stifle her sobs.

"I never meant to hurt you," she admitted. "Before. I used you, because I was curious and young and I liked the attention, I never knew how deep your feelings were, until I came back and then I had to look at my own feelings."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Emily asked desperately.

"When,Em? When A was trying to shoot us? When you all thought I was A? There was never a good moment and with A still ruining everything I couldn't do that to you," Ali whispered.

"Do what?"

"I've taken so much of your past, Em I couldn't take your future too."

"How do you not understand? I have no future without you, Ali."

"There you go again saying things that make me fall more in love with you," Alison gave her a watery chuckle. "How do you do that? How do you still care?"

"Ali," Emily stepped forward taking the blonde's shaking hands softly in her own. "I never stopped caring. I never stopped loving you."

"I didn't give up on us, Em, I couldn't, not after everything we've been through," Alison tried to keep her tears at bay. "But I had to put us on hold. We would have destroyed each other so soon after everything."

Emily nodded, she understood as much as she didn't want to she did. It hurt and it wasn't fair but it made sense. After jail and the dollhouse and the lies and A, they needed a break, they needed to find themselves before they could find each other.

"You never wanted to talk about that night," Emily whispered. "You never brought it up before jail and the dollhouse you just acted like it never happened."

Alison cupped Emily's cheek, soothing her thumb in little circles.

"I loved that night, Em. It meant _everything_ to me," Alison promised. "I was so scared if we talked about that you'd say it didn't matter that it was some left over feelings you needed to sort through, I couldn't bare it if you belittled it. It was selfish but it was easier to not talk."

"Belittle it?" Emily's brown eyes searched Alison's watery blue depths desperately. "I could never do that, I've waited for that night since I was fourteen years old, Ali. That was the best night of my life."

Alison smiled and let out a relieved chuckle.

"Mine too," she admitted.

Emily held the hand holding her cheek, turning her face into Alison's palm she kissed it deeply.

"Can we start over?" Alison asked hopefully her breath hitching as Emily kissed along her palm and over to her pulse point, the bruises on her arms had faded but the scars were still there.

Emily shook her head sadly pulling her mouth away from Alison's wrist. The blonde forced herself not to drag her back, not to grab for her mermaid desperately and never let go. She wouldn't force Emily, even as she felt the brunette's rejection shattered her heart.

"We can't, Ali, I can't start over with you," Emily admitted.

Alison nodded sadly.

"I understand," she breathed softly. "I wish you all the happiness in the world, Em. I'm so proud of you for getting out of here."

Alison took one last long look at her mermaid and stepped away.

"You're ridiculous," Emily challenged, snagging Alison's arm as the blonde tried to retreat.

"But you said…"

"I said we can't start over," Emily pulled the blonde closer. "I can't pretend we've never met or that I'm taking you out on a date not knowing everything thats happened to you. I can't pretend I don't know how to touch you or how beautiful you look like in the throes of passion."

Alison's breath hitched as Emily traced a finger behind her ear tucking a stray blonde strand into place.

"Or that behind your ear isn't incredibly sensitive," Emily smiled. "I love you, Ali. I don't want to start over I want to go forward."

Alison smiled amazed and stunned and so very, very happy.

"So what'd you say, forward?" Emily asked squeezing Alison's waist as the blonde draped her arms over the brunette's shoulders.

"Forward," Alison agreed.

"Kiss me," Emily begged against Alison's lips.

The blonde's red lips curved into a teasing smirk.

"Like you even have to-"

Emily crashed their lips together happily cutting Alison off though the blonde hardly minded, she moaned into her mermaid's mouth taking everything Emily would give her. As always the brunette tasted wonderful, like summer and swimming but most of all like home.


End file.
